~ By Heidi Dahms Foster ~
Part of the fun of dog sports is sharing your passion for canines with likeminded people, and the Chino Valley Canine Training Club provides the best of both.
CVCTC, an active club of more than 60 members, was founded in the late 1980s. It is supported by energetic dog lovers who also enjoy a wide variety of dog activities with their furry friends. Volunteers pitch in to host primarily American Kennel Club sanctioned events that dog enthusiasts can participate in with their purebred or mixed breed canines.
The club exists to promote the quality training of dogs for behavior and/or competition; conduct classes for the training of dogs of all breeds, mixed or purebred, and all ages from puppy through advanced, and their handlers in a positive and fun environment.
The club also hosts and supports obedience and rally trials and matches under the rules and regulations of the American Kennel Club; promotes cooperation and good sportsmanship among the members in the training, handling and exhibition of dogs at trials and matches; and educates area residents in dog care and training and the responsibility of dog ownership.
The club is also committed to serving the community, and does so through several annual events:
- Shelter Dogs & Spay/Neuter Program: The club helps to financially support the Chino Valley Animal Shelter with spay and neuter of adopted pets.
- Chino Valley Halloween Event: CVCTC hosts a booth at the annual Town of Chino Valley Trick or Treat event at Memory Park.
- Chino Valley Dog Park: CVCTC provided start-up funding for the Town’s dog park.
While the traditional dog obedience trials and the relatively newer rally obedience trials have been the staple sports of the club, the past several years have seen some exciting new activities for dog lovers to enjoy. These include AKC FastCAT, Scent Work, and Fetch trials.
Occasionally, the club will coordinate special events, such as rattlesnake aversion training, Canine Good Citizen testing, temperament testing or advanced classes.
Some of the classes regularly taught by club members or non-club members who are invited to teach, include:
Beginner Obedience
Beginner Obedience classes are one hour in length. Puppies must be five months or older to attend. Classes are taught at Memory Park between March and October and last six weeks. They start with the basics to give handler and dog a strong foundation. Over the six weeks instructors build on these skills, sending students home each week with skills to practice. The goal is to have fun and have a well-mannered and sociable pet.
Intro to Rally
Rally is a type of obedience and is often an extension of the beginner course. It helps increase the bond between handlers and their dogs. These one-hour sessions are taught by experienced handlers and club members and held at Memory Park between March and October. In rally, dogs and handlers must navigate a timed course of signs within a designated ring space. Signs become more challenging as the teams advance.
Therapy Dog
Therapy dogs bring much joy to all kinds of people through visits to hospitals, nursing homes, businesses and more. A visit from a friendly dog brightens everyone’s day and relieves stress. To make sure this is a match for both dog and handler, this six-week class covers everything from the odors teams may encounter, to the people, equipment and experiences involved in visiting a facility. Classes are taught Spring through Fall and space is limited.
FETCH
FETCH is a new titling event recently offered by the American Kennel Club to encourage activity with dogs and handlers. Earning FETCH titles offers great opportunity for exercise, and many dogs love to play this game. AKC titles are offered in varying degrees of difficulty.
Scent Work
Dogs’ noses are 100,000 times more sensitive than human noses. AKC Scent Work is a challenging sport in a variety of levels that not only highlights the amazing sense of smell dogs have, but encourages handlers to learn to “read” their dogs. These one-hour courses are taught by experienced handlers who are also club members and held in Chino Valley between March and October.
Aside from classes, CVCTC hosts trials in the wildly popular FastCAT, an AKC event that offers fun, exercise and focus.
In AKC lure coursing, Coursing Ability Test (CAT), or FastCAT, dogs chase a plastic lure, (often a white plastic bag!) pulled by a mechanized system.
In Fast CAT® dogs run individually after the lure in a timed 100-yard dash within a designated boundary. All breeds participate.
Some of the other AKC titles club members can earn include Trick Dog in several levels, and Canine Good Citizen. The club has several members qualified to evaluate and certify for these titles. Regular club activities include an annual picnic with dog games, a Christmas potluck, volunteer dinners, eye and titer clinics, and special informational speakers at meetings.
Events upcoming for the last half of the year include:
- The club’s first FETCH Trial on July 13 & 14
- Scent Work Trial, September 14 & 15
- Obedience and Rally Trials, October 5 & 6
- Annual Fundraiser Raffle, October 5 & 6: The Annual Fundraiser raffle will be held during the AKC Obedience and Rally trial October 5th & 6th. The raffle is open to the public and will be held under cover at Memory Park (near the restroom). Funds raised from the raffle go toward continuing the Club’s commitment to community service through offering assistance with spay/neuter of adopted shelter pets.
- AKC FastCAT Trial, November 2 & 3, 2024
CVCTC welcomes members who want to be active with their dogs and give back to the community. Those interested can find a membership application on the website. Before being accepted, prospective members must attend three meetings or club activities. Meetings are the third Thursday of each month, 6 p.m., at the Chino Valley Senior Center.
Find more information on Chino Valley Canine Training Club at cvctc.net, or on Facebook at Chino Valley Canine Training Club. Contact information is also listed on the website.
